Programme Planning Session Tips and Hints on Planning a Programme

HIGH QUALITY BALANCED PROGRAMME Why Have a Programme Our Vision HIGH QUALITY BALANCED PROGRAMME I don’t mean why have a programme in terms of having a plan, but why have a balanced programme The aim of the Association is to promote the development of young people in achieving their full physical, intellectual, social and spiritual potential, as individuals, as responsible citizens and as members of their local, national and international communities. The programme ensures that scouting delivers against that aim. It helps leaders ensure that young people can explore and grow physically, intellectually, socially and spiritually. That they feel part of a local, national and international community, both inside and external to scouting. But for me, even more important, is that experience has proven the most successful colonies, packs, troops (and units) are those that are run against a balanced programme. When the new programme was introduced in 2002, the scout association spent a lot of time researching how the best sections were run and they found that they were the ones running balanced programmes. This way the aim of scouting is delivered, but the young people just enjoy themselves. Not until they start to get older that they start to realise just what scouting has given them.

What we do = Core Themes Core themes: Outdoor & Adventure, World and Skills broken down into Challenge Areas These run through the whole of the Programme from 6-18 increasing in level of complexity and challenge through the ages When planning a programme, 50% should be focussed on delivering Outdoor & Adventure The Scout Association spent considerable amounts of time and money re-developing the programme and activities so that each section follows on from each other seamlessly whilst increasing the challenge and adventure that our Young People will experience.

“FAIL TO PREPARE = PREPARE TO FAIL” So why bother planning a programme? Scouting is the same as all things in life “FAIL TO PREPARE = PREPARE TO FAIL” There is only so long anyone can run a successful section “off the cuff”. Members will become bored, lose enthusiasm and ultimately leave.

Good Planning Enthusiastic, well trained leaders delivering a balanced, exciting and varied programme = success! There is a lot to cover in 4 years- Platinum and Diamond Chief Scout Award, Duke of Edinburgh Scheme, Explorer Belt, starting QSA… …whilst competing for YPs time over this period- exams, other youth groups, sports teams, relationships. Gives more YPs a better chance of attaining the Higher Awards

Good Planning 5. Ensures better use of time 6. Ensures better use of adults and young people Ensures equipment, facilities and safety provision are adequate and available Involves the YP in a meaningful way so that they ‘buy in’ to the programme and are more likely to remain in Scouting as YPs and future Leaders!

So where do we start? Rudyard Kipling wrote: “I keep six honest serving men (They taught me all I knew) Their names are What and Why and When And How and Where and Who” Now that we have convinced you that it is good to plan a balanced programme, where do we start. Although Rudyard Kipling probably wasn’t planning a Scout programme when he said this, it is a very useful phrase to work to when planning.

Plans Long term Mid term Short term Meeting year Key dates / events/ camps/trips Higher Awards Mid term Term Challenge Areas, visits Short term Meeting activities, methods Meeting Detailed plan To ensure that our programmes are balanced and include all aspects of Scouting, we should start by looking long term. For Beavers and cubs, this should be an overall 2 year programme, for Scouts and Explorers 4 years. Think about events that you might not run every year, such as a foreign trip for older sections. Where in the 4 year plan will this go? Planning over the period that the young people are in your section means that you reduce the risk of repetition and ensure that they experience a WOW event/activity during their time with you. You can then look to plan a year- start with known dates from County/District/Group that will affect your section. Decide on camps, leader meetings, known special events (Olympics, County Camps, Royal Weddings, World Cup which you can incorporate as a theme in your programme). Then focus on a term or 3 months- day visits, what programme zone or Challenge award do you aim to complete in this period? Short term-

Planning for Scouting Long term plans Annual overview Fixed dates, terms, holidays, events, exam periods. County Diary / District Diary / Group Diary Examples-County Camps, BrumJam, Kandersteg winter and Summer trips, Bivouac, BrumVenture Get it down on paper/spreadsheet and build from there! Click and show County website and diary. Click and show District Diary sent out by ADC’s Click and show Spreadsheet initial year planner.

Planning for Scouting Medium Term Plans 12 Weeks or so. Adds detail to year plan What, Why, When, How, Where and Who Make bookings Sanity Check…. Is this still possible and/or worthwhile? Communicate! Give leaders and Young People/Parents as much notice as possible Add detail to Year planner! Click on 4 month detailed year planner

Planning for Scouting Short Term Plans Weekly meetings How are you going to fill your meeting time? What resources/equipment/bookings will you need? How will you use your leaders? Does the programme achieve the aim?- e.g. Will the young person cover the requirements for the award? Risk Assessment

DON’T PANIC!! Help is at hand in various guises! Other section leaders- group/district/county/SAS Your GSL/DESC/ACC/Training Advisor Scouting Magazine www.scouts.org.uk ideas and programme planner – Programmes Online

Delivery Once planned and prepared, deliver! Have a back up plan- what if the weather turns, or only a few Young People turn up? Don’t be afraid to deviate from the plan if you spot problems Make sure the Young People understand what they are doing and they will learn and enjoy it much more!

Review and Feedback Whether the programme went well or not it is important to review and feedback. Ask the Young People!- They are the ones we are doing this for. Make it a Unit forum and look at Taking the Lead material. Discuss as a Leader team, and regularly use the Quality Programme Checker Are the YPS attaining the Higher Awards?

A Quality Explorer Programme Key Measurements: Chief Scout Diamond Award Engagement with other programme opportunities Activities outside the meeting place Delivery of the programme Activities with others Youth involvement Nights away opportunities Depending on the nature of your presentation you may want to have copies of the quality programme checker available for participants A quality programme is important to help grow and retain our members. We know if scouting has places for young people to join (sections) and access to a quality programme we will grow. So what makes a high quality Explorer programme: Key measurements are: Achievement of the Chief Scout Diamond Award Engagement with other pgoramme opportunities such as the Young Leaders’ Scheme, Explorer Belt, Queen’s Scout Award and Activity Badges Activities outside the meeting place Delivery of the programme Activities with others Youth involvement Nights away opportunities The quality programme self checker tool is available online and is a simple way for you to review your programme and decide which areas to target the next time you programme plan.

And Finally…. Hopefully you can see just in this short session that there is a wealth of information out there to support us in our roles as leaders and to help us deliver an exciting, balanced programme that will keep our sections thriving for years to come. Most importantly is… have fun yourselves! We don’t get paid so the least we can do is join in the adventure.